Russian wildfires death toll reaches 50

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, speaks with a fire fighter in a burned forest at Voronezh region on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. Wildfires have wiped out Russian forests, villages and a military base sent the thickest blanket of smog yet over Moscow.(AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, pool)

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, speaks with a fire fighter in a burned forest at Voronezh region on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. Wildfires have wiped out Russian forests, villages and a military base sent the thickest blanket of smog yet over Moscow.(AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, pool) (/ AP)

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Local citizens attempt to extinguish a forest fire near the village of Dolginino in the Ryazan region, some 180 km (111 miles) southeast of Moscow, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. Over the last 24 hours, firefighters have extinguished 293 fires, but 403 others have been spotted while more than 500 have continued to rage over large swathes of countryside, some of them out of control, the Emergencies Ministry said. (AP Photo)

Local citizens attempt to extinguish a forest fire near the village of Dolginino in the Ryazan region, some 180 km (111 miles) southeast of Moscow, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. Over the last 24 hours, firefighters have extinguished 293 fires, but 403 others have been spotted while more than 500 have continued to rage over large swathes of countryside, some of them out of control, the Emergencies Ministry said. (AP Photo) (/ AP)

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Local citizens attempt to extinguish a forest fire near the village of Dolginino in the Ryazan region, some 180 km (111 miles) southeast of Moscow, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. Over the last 24 hours, firefighters have extinguished 293 fires, but 403 others have been spotted while more than 500 have continued to rage over large swathes of countryside, some of them out of control, the Emergencies Ministry said.(AP Photo)

Local citizens attempt to extinguish a forest fire near the village of Dolginino in the Ryazan region, some 180 km (111 miles) southeast of Moscow, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. Over the last 24 hours, firefighters have extinguished 293 fires, but 403 others have been spotted while more than 500 have continued to rage over large swathes of countryside, some of them out of control, the Emergencies Ministry said.(AP Photo) (/ AP)

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin shakes hands with a fire fighter in a burned forest at Voronezh region on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. Wildfires have wiped out Russian forests, villages and a military base sent the thickest blanket of smog yet over Moscow .(AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, pool)

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, center, speaks with people, whose houses burnt to the ground in forest fires at Voronezh region on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. Russia is suffering its worst heat wave on record, helping to ignite forest and bog fires across central and western regions. Over the last 24 hours, firefighters have extinguished 293 fires, but another 403 have been spotted while more than 500 continued to rage over large swathes of countryside, some of the out of control, the Emergencies Ministry said. The fires have killed at least 48 people in the past week. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Pool)

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, center, speaks with people, whose houses burnt to the ground in forest fires at Voronezh region on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010. Russia is suffering its worst heat wave on record, helping to ignite forest and bog fires across central and western regions. Over the last 24 hours, firefighters have extinguished 293 fires, but another 403 have been spotted while more than 500 continued to rage over large swathes of countryside, some of the out of control, the Emergencies Ministry said. The fires have killed at least 48 people in the past week. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Pool) (/ AP)

Firefighters try to extinguish a forest fire near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

Firefighters try to extinguish a forest fire near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev) (/ AP)

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Firefighters try to extinguish a forest fire near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

Firefighters try to extinguish a forest fire near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev) (/ AP)

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Firefighters try to extinguish a forest fire near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

Firefighters try to extinguish a forest fire near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev) (/ AP)

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A firefighter tries to extinguish a forest fire which came very close to a village of dachas (summer cottages) near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

A firefighter tries to extinguish a forest fire which came very close to a village of dachas (summer cottages) near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev) (/ AP)

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Townspeople, residents of dachas (summer cottages), walk protecting themselves from a thick smoke from a forest fire which came very close to their village near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

Townspeople, residents of dachas (summer cottages), walk protecting themselves from a thick smoke from a forest fire which came very close to their village near the town of Elektrogorsk, some 88 km (54 miles) east of Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Tens of thousands of troops and volunteers were helping some 10,000 firefighters battle blazes in more than a dozen western Russian provinces, seven of which were under a state of emergency. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday evening that there were 246 fires burning on a total of 121,000 hectares (310,000 acres). (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev) (/ AP)

Russian officials say they have recovered a body from a provincial village gutted by wildfires, while another victim has died in the hospital, taking the death toll from hundreds of blazes nationwide to at least 50.

The Emergencies Ministry said in a statement Thursday that almost 600 separate fires were still raging, mostly in Russia's European territory, to the west.

A thick smog that had blanketed Moscow partially lifted early Thursday but could return, officials warned.

Russia is suffering through its worst heat wave on record, pushing forest and peat fires across its central and western regions. Temperatures for weeks have soared as high as 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in Moscow, where the average summer temperature usually is around 23 Celsius (75 Fahrenheit).